Dokkodo: Lonesome Road of Running

Woke up at 5:30 AM. Went for breakfast at 7:00 AM. A buffet-style meal at the hotel's restaurant. There was a wide variety of options, including cheese, bread, egg dishes, and vegetables. It’s easy to end up eating too much with a spread like this. Picked up the laundry I had dropped off yesterday. In Turkey, you rarely see coin-operated laundromats outside of Istanbul. The hotel's laundry service cost 600 Lira (approx. 2,000 yen) per load. Hand-washing takes a long time to dry, so I figured it was worth it to have it done professionally. Departed at 11:00 AM, seen off by the kind hotel staff. They asked to take a commemorative photo, and I happily agreed. They even followed me on Instagram. Körfez was a wonderful, lively city. Now, heading east. Just before noon, I took a break at a park in Kocaeli, located above the D100 highway tunnel. Even there, the noise and exhaust fumes were unavoidable. The temperature was a comfortable 21°C; taking off my jacket felt just right. After...

Day 3. Woke up at 4:00 AM. My legs and lower back are sore. If I can just get through this third day, I’ll be okay. Took a shower and relaxed a bit. Today’s route covers 35 kilometers to Körfez. There aren't many climbs, and I should be able to run along the seaside promenade again. The weather has been clear for a while, but it looks like there will be a lot of rain next week. My body is gradually shifting into "traveler mode." I’ll accept the aches and pains here and there. No complaining. I’m thinking of taking a rest day in İzmit to recover and make adjustments. Had a delicious breakfast just after 7:00 AM. It was a buffet-style meal: boiled eggs, ham, cheese, pickled olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, coffee, and bread. Packed up my gear and set off at 7:30 AM. However, I got a flat tire before I’d even gone 100 meters. A flat tire—the first hurdle of the day. While I was repairing it in front of a bank that hadn't opened yet, my pump broke—hurdle number two. Fortunate...

Woke up at 4:00 AM. Severe muscle soreness was concentrated in my lower back, upper back, shoulders, and arms rather than my legs. I took a hot shower and massaged the sore areas with the hot water. Even though I run regularly, I rarely push a buggy up and down hills. I could have taken a rest day, but due to accommodation arrangements, I aimed for the town of Gebze, about 15 kilometers away. Decided to check out a bit later than usual. Breakfast at 5:00 AM: banana, oat biscuits, raisins, dates, orange, apple juice, and salted drinking yogurt. A late start at 11:00 AM. Navigating through residential areas and the town center was fine, as there were sidewalks. The first tricky spot: I was guided onto a road resembling the D100 expressway—restricted to motor vehicles. It ran parallel to the highway, and the exhaust fumes were intense. There were sections where the shoulder simply disappeared. Running on the left side of the road felt terrifying, as oncoming traffic seemed to be charging ...

I was awake by 4:00 AM. I had fallen asleep at 7:30 PM the previous night and woke up several times during the night. Whether it was excitement or a sense of impatience, I just felt an urge to get moving. I organized my gear, assembled the buggy, loaded it up, and set off at 7:00 AM. Since it had been six months, I had completely forgotten various details, so it took some time to get back into the swing of things. I chatted with the hotel staff and had him take the photo above. It was 2.3 kilometers to the Sirkeci ferry terminal. Right from the start, I had to climb a steep hill. The Old City has many hills and is quite difficult to navigate. There are sidewalks, but they are narrow and crowded with commuters and students, requiring constant caution. I paid the ferry fare (120 TRY) using a contactless credit card. The ferry crossing took about 15 minutes. At 8:30 AM, I resumed my journey from Harem. I passed through a university campus, where traffic was heavy for a while. The road run...

It is my third day in Istanbul; tomorrow, I finally start running. I woke up at 4:00 AM and spent some time working on my PC. Just after 7:00 AM—once the sun was up—I headed out into the city. It was a clear day with a temperature of 15°C, expected to rise to 20°C by midday. I visited Sultanahmet Park, home to the famous Blue Mosque. There were quite a few tourists around, including many groups on organized tours. I had a late breakfast at a café. I ordered *pide*, a traditional Turkish flatbread shaped like a boat—often described as Turkish pizza. It must have been a good 40 centimeters long. I was surprised by its size; the menu photo hadn't prepared me for just how big it was! I managed to finish it, but it left me feeling incredibly full. It’s essentially just a round pizza stretched out, but it was a bit too much to eat on a day when I wasn't running. That’s when the "incident" occurred... Just as I was checking my smartphone after taking a photo, what should app...

It is the morning of my second day in Istanbul; the low is 15°C, but the wind makes it feel quite cold. It reminds me of a December morning in Osaka. I had agonized over what clothes to bring before leaving, but I’m glad I packed a thicker jacket. It’s perfect for running, but standing still in the wind and rain makes me freezing cold. I find myself strangely missing my travels in tropical and subtropical regions now... After just one day of walking around Istanbul, I think I might already be in love with Turkey. Usually, the aspects that stand out on the first day are the ones that feel a bit off-putting or difficult, but that hasn't been the case this time. Between the city itself, the people, and the food—and judging by the experiences I've gathered on my travels so far—Turkey ranks pretty high on my list. I wonder if the rainbow I saw yesterday was a sign of that. "Ayran," a salty drinking yogurt, is surprisingly delicious.  It shares something in common with Viet...

The second day starts at Shanghai Pudong Airport. The gate area has become quite crowded. I am incredibly sleepy. Turkey—situated at the western edge of Asia and the eastern edge of Europe—is by no means close to Japan. Most of the passengers bound for Istanbul are young people in their twenties; groups of young women and couples are particularly noticeable. This is likely due to the long National Day holiday in China, though it may also reflect the fact that many people there have become economically prosperous. Boarding began shortly after 12:30 AM. I took off from Shanghai at 1:20 AM. Since sitting for long periods isn't good for you, I had walked around the airport quite a bit beforehand. The temperature inside the terminal was low and chilly; hardly anyone was dressed lightly. About two hours after takeoff, the next in-flight meal was served. Even though I was sleepy, I still had an appetite. This time, it was chicken rice with onions, accompanied by fruit, a biscuit, and appl...

Set off from our Pingpong Terrace in Tondabayashi just after 9:00 AM and drove to Kansai International Airport. The weather was clear. Although I had been worried about the impact of a typhoon, it turned out to be a perfect day for setting off on a trip. I arrived at the airport around 10:30 AM. After saying goodbye to Piapi, my wife, who had come to see me off, I checked in. I headed straight for the boarding gate, but not before picking up a rental Wi-Fi router—a service I use every time I travel. This was my first trip in nearly six months, ever since returning from Malaysia. Airports always seem to put me on edge. At the China Eastern Airlines counter, I checked my luggage (the stroller weighed 23 kg, and the bag 18 kg) and got my tickets issued. Then, I made our way to the gate after clearing security and immigration. I wasn't taking a direct flight this time; instead, I had a layover of about ten hours in Shanghai. Since I didn't plan on leaving the airport, I needed to f...

I took a nap on the lounge sofa and woke up at 3 AM. I didn't feel like I'd slept very well. There was still plenty of time until the 7:30 AM departure. I had breakfast at the cafeteria. I didn't want to get sleepy after eating, so I headed to the boarding gate a little after 6 AM. Despite my right knee pain, I had to walk a considerable distance. Gate Q14 was at the very end. Perhaps due to the weak yen, there seemed to be few Japanese tourists. The languages ​​I heard were Malay, Chinese, Korean, and English. Boarding finally began after 7 AM. People with Malaysian passports seemed relatively well-off. Many were wearing Uniqlo jackets or Asics shoes; it seemed like many of them were Japanophiles. It's currently cherry blossom season, the perfect time for sightseeing. The flight was six and a half hours. The AirAsia cabin felt quite cramped. Is it because many Asians are slender that the planes are designed this way? American and Australian airlines have more spacious ...

Finally, I'm leaving George Town and heading to Penang International Airport. Perhaps due to nervousness, I woke up before 3 AM. In the morning, I disassembled and packed the buggy. It served me well again this time. This time, it wasn't the buggy that was the problem, but my right knee. Even so, I'm fortunate to have made it this far. I called a Grab ride-hailing service before 11 AM and arrived at the airport in about 20 minutes (RM24 = 960 yen). The waiting time at the airport is always long. I drink, eat, play on my smartphone, people-watch... Especially in Malaysia, a multi-ethnic country. I almost forget I'm Japanese. My flight to Kuala Lumpur departs at 9 PM. And my flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kansai Airport departs tomorrow morning at 7:30 AM. Self-check-in is available at kiosk terminals, where you print your ticket and baggage tags. I checked in my luggage before 6 PM, and the excess baggage fee was about 16,000 yen. Even with budget airline tickets, baggage f...

  Here I am in Georgetown, but only did a little sightseeing on the first day. Today is essentially my last day in Georgetown. My right knee is neither good nor bad; walking normally is a bit difficult. I went to a local restaurant for lunch and dinner. The noodles were delicious. I wanted to eat so many more things, but I only have a little time left to enjoy Malaysian cuisine. Maybe I'll have a chance to visit again someday… After lunch, I went to a dim sum shop again and got two kinds of egg tarts to take away. Unfortunately, my final run on the 7th was cancelled. With my right knee in its current state, even walking is difficult. Final goal was made in Georgetown on April 3rd. Tomorrow morning, I'll disassemble and pack the buggy. Although there was a broken spoke, I had no other problems with the buggy because I lightened my luggage. There were no flat tyres either. I'll use the Grab ride-hailing app to call a car to the airport. Tomorrow, DAY 40, my Malaysian journey ...

A mosquito got in, and I woke up in the middle of the night due to the itching. Since it's a tropical country, mosquitoes are active  all year round. I gave my right knee a thorough massage and stretch. The pain isn't constant, but it's best to rest it. In the afternoon, I went out into town. It was Sunday, so there were quite a few tourists. I had Chinese food for lunch. Basically, I eat one main dish a day, either at lunch or dinner. On days when I don't run, I don't feel very hungry. My right knee hurts, so I can't walk much. I only go out for shopping or meals around the hotel. Time to reflect on the journey. Now that the journey is nearing its end, it's time to switch from traveler mode to normal mode. The memories of running the highway day after day are slowly becoming a thing of the past. It was tough and painful at times, but it was also an incredibly exhilarating and truly enjoyable time. I have no regrets about my travels or my life. "I ran m...